The Ring Of The Bell
by XxStarlightSkyxX
Summary: Modern day Mabastian High School AU - Mary is dating Francis but they get into a fight and she runs into his handsome older brother who is devilishly handsome and has a cheeky attitude! Can she forget her troubles, even if for a mere few minutes...
1. Chapter 1

**_Ring My Bell_**

_Rain. _Lots of freaking rain. It would be bad enough if that was all it was but half way there the thunder and lightning begun and it is definitely not suitable weather to be walking in. But that is exactly what she is doing. Their fight still replaying over and over again in her head.

_"You kissed her!" _

_"I am sorry Mary. I swear I stopped it!"_

_"Stopped it!?" She exclaimed in disbelief "There shouldn't have been a start to begin with!" she was full on yelling now and people were definitely staring._

The fight ended with Francis storming off muttering something about talking to her later when she was being more reasonable. If he had found her after it happened and told her maybe she would have believed it didn't mean anything. But he didn't, she had to find out through the grape vine, he kissed Olivia. _Olivia of all people. _Olivia had broken up with Francis about 6 months before they started to date, but Mary knew he still held a torch for his former girlfriend.

So now here she was walking down the street in the middle of a thunder storm, it had only been drizzling when she left school and but by now it had escalated rapidly. She was already soaked by the time she found shelter so she decided to keep walking. No destination in particular, which was why she found it odd when she ended up at Francis door step.

She exhaled wondering why she had come here of all places, she didn't want to talk to him but she was cold and wet so she decided that they might as well have this conversation now rather than at school on Monday. No reason to delay the inevitable, she braced herself and walked up to door and knocked three times.

After minutes of no reply or sound coming from inside she turned on her heel to leave when the door swung open. She didn't even look to see who was standing in the doorway before saying "Punishing me by making me wait? That's low, even for you Franc—-"Just as she was finishing her sentence she saw _him_ standing against the door frame with his arms crossed and a curious expression marking is face.

_Sebastian_. Or as everyone called him, Bash. She has to admit he is gorgeous, between is striking eyes and sexy stubble marring his face he was definitely not hard to look at. She had seen him rooming the school halls in the past, but they had never had an actual conversation. He was 2 grades above her so they shared no classes or friends and Francis never cared to introduce her to his family so rumours and brief glances in the halls were all she knew of him.

She was so distracted by his beauty she didn't think about apologizing for not cheeking who was answering the door before yelling. As her brain and senses finally caught up with her she was about to apologize when he started "I am sorry, had my hands full so it took me a while to respond, my lady."

_My lady._

_She mentally scoffed, who talks like that? Well, him apparently._

"No. It's not your fault! I should have cheeked first, it has been a long day and my temper is flaring. Francis and I got into a big fight earlier and I just started walking and ended up here. So I figured _what the hell_! But now I am realising what a bad idea it was and …" She let her ramblings drift off, her tone taking on a tired and defeated tint that was the opposite from her angry snap from earlier.

He just stared at her for a second almost as if contemplating the situation before him when he realized she was soaked to the bone and shivering, pushing his manners forward he said "Why don't you come in and we can talk." He held the door open as a sign of invitation. She looked at him questioning with her eyes and arching her perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Is Francis in?"

_Silence._

"No, ummm… He is.. Out." For the first time since opening the door and listening to her rambling he looked honest to god embarrassed but also regretful. There was pity flowing through his eyes and she couldn't figure out why a_ practically _stranger was feeling bad for her. A quiet "Oh." was all she could manage to say. After a moment she said "Well, Uhh. Thanks anyways."

Turning to leave back where she'd come from he caught her arm and turned her, she wonders for a split second why he'd stopped her and was about to make a remark when he says "It's cold out there, you are cold. This is not the kind of weather to be out in, it is dangerous."

She was about to reply with a snarky _Yes, but going in to the house of a man i barely know is safer… _When a large ray of lightening rippled through the sky a couple miles away, she knew that there was no rational argument that would justify her walking in this weather. "Okay_. Just_ until the storm cools off."

He smiled at her and with a dramatic bow he guided her into the house towards a beautiful guest bathroom. "There are towels on the rack and I'll go get you some dry sweats and a t-shirt to put on!" He calls from the other room whilst ruffling through some draws. Returning shortly after with the clothing, he closes the door behind him and allows her to change in private.

She exits the bathroom not long after with her hair towel dried and her wet clothes in one hand. He takes them from her and puts them in the washer to wash the rain and mud out of them, she murmurs a quiet thanks and stands awkwardly in the hall way.

When he finishes he gestures towards the kitchen and they walk there in silence, she doesn't know what to say. _What does one say to your boyfriends brother after he rescues her from a thunderstorm after a horrible fight with said boyfriend, after accidentally lashing out at them and proceeding that by rambling like a teenager. _Well she is a teenager, but that isn't the point.

"Hot Chocolate?" He asks.

She nods and smiles at his choice in beverage and tries to think of something to say. _What is wrong with me? Since when am I rendered speechless by a boy? Actually, a man. A beautiful man, some might even say go-like. Jesus Mary pull it together. YOU. ARE. DATING. HIS. BROTHER!_

He passes her a mug and looks at her with an intensity she is sure could melt butter. Almost as if she is an intricate puzzle he is trying to piece together. Like a rubix cube.

"Do you want to talk about it… And before you say no. You should know I am an excellent listener and a possibly better advice giver." He tries to lighten the mood.

He expects her to dismiss him. To tell him it is not his business but she doesn't. There is something about Bash,_ something_ that makes her want to tell him her darkest secrets… She figures the fight is a good place to start.

"Francis kissed someone else. He swears it was a mistake, but I.. I don't know…" She sighs.

"Olivia." He guesses softly almost as if to himself more than her.

She shrugs, brushing it off as if it was nothing even though it most definitely feels like something to her.

"I might have overreacted a little." She looks at her hands that were twiddling her fingers together subconsciously.

His voice pierces through the air "No. It's unfathomable." He looks at her like he can see right through her "What is?" She questions.

"Francis has you, why would he ever look elsewhere." There was not a trace of lie, flirtation or joking about this sentence. It wasn't some pick up line he used to get women to fall all over him, he was a flirt, yes. Everyone in school knew that. But the way he was looking at her now, his eye genuine and compassionate.

She felt her breath hitch, her body moving towards him; it felt like gravity pulling them together. So close she could smell his cologne, just as she was about to move forward the front door opened in the other room. She jumped back slightly the momentary haze that had clouded her judgement was now fading. Francis strolled into the kitchen and caught her gaze, momentarily startled, obviously not expecting her.

"What are you doing here?" _What no hello? Quite the gentleman I have here. _It wasn't that he was saying it with malice, but there was no warmth of regard for her. It felt like talking to a brick.

"I came by to apologize for earlier. How I acted." She said slowly.

"Oh." He seemed surprised "Well, we all make mistakes, no worries. But that doesn't explain why you are talking to my brother." He moved his gaze towards Bash, who simply shrugged and walked off leaving them to deal with their relationship issues. But standing at the threshold he turned his head and said "It was a pleasure to meet you in person, Mary. I have heard so much about you, and you are even lovelier in person. Do pop by again and I am sure Francis will return you your clothes when they are dry." And with that he left Mary and Francis in the kitchen.

"There was a storm so Sebastian let me dry off inside—"She smelt the alcohol on his breath "Where were you?"

"What does it matter? You are here now. Let's go upstairs, watch a movie forget about all the drama."

"Francis." She was a small girl, but in that moment there was a power in her voice that made him tell her the truth.

"I was with Olivia." He didn't have to say anymore, there was a look in his eye. It told her everything. She thinks back to when Bash told her he was out, the guilty look on his face…_He knew, and he was covering for his brother. _She didn't blame him though; right now all her anger was on Francis. Instead of starting a fight she simply picked her bag up and left.

Her mind kept echoing one sentence in particular _Francis had you, why would he look elsewhere? …_


	2. Chapter 2

She wasn't upset, no; she promised herself she was not going to be one of those teenage girls who sat around and cried about a boy who didn't deserve her tears. But alas here she was, sitting on the bleachers looking over at the empty field wondering what to do next. The school halls and surrounding grounds were all vacant due to the fact most students were in class, where she should be, honestly, but her feet had apparently disobeyed her mind and she found herself over at the lacrosse field.

She had no idea why she came here of all places, maybe it was the solitude, other than games and practices the field and bleachers remained rather empty. Probably had something to do with freezing weather and wind that isn't exactly pleasant to sit in, she didn't mind though, it gave her a distraction. Focus on the cold, of the chattering of her teeth rather than her tear streaked face and Rudolf red nose.

Bash was just exiting the men's room when he caught a glance across the courtyard and out towards the bleachers, there was long raven hair blowing in the wind. Even though he could only see her from the back he recognized her immediately. _Mary._

He hadn't seen her in school all morning, it had been a couple days since the encounter between Francis and her and so far he knew they hadn't worked anything out yet. He felt for her, she was genuinely sweet, but she also had a wild and mysterious gleam in her eyes. She seemed curious about a lot and it was that curiosity that intrigued him most. Most girls in his school cared about their hair and makeup being perfect and what they were going to where tomorrow, but not Mary. It is not to say that she didn't care about those things, they just didn't lead her life, and she viewed the world differently... She saw possibilities and chances, adventures and life.

To see that light that normally shined in her eyes gone as he approached her was truly gut wrenching, he hadn't even realized he had been walking over to her unconsciously , to wrapped up in his revere to notice until he stood at the bottom of the bleachers looking up at her.

She turned her face to him as she heard him approach, the second he saw her tears stained face he knew one thing, he had to make her smile before the day was done. He felt guilty, which was crazy because he hadn't pushed Francis and Olivia together, he hadn't hurt her but yet that gnawing feeling remained in the pit of his stomach. Maybe because he had not told Mary where Francis really was when she showed up on Friday, maybe because he had lied to her.

All he knew was that it honestly was not his place to get in between his brother and his girlfriend, telling her was not his responsibility or his right. _So why did he feel so bad_?

She sat in silence as he approached not really sure how to broach a conversation with him, they had left on reasonable terms but she was sure he had heard Francis on Friday, or at least heard her slam the door on her way out. She was so embarrassed, wiping her face trying to create some notion of normality. If he noticed her tears he didn't comment on it, simply smiled and gave a polite bow of his head.

"Mary." It was his voice, that damn voice. So silky and smooth yet strong and husky, she wondered how it was possible for a man to be able to make one word sound so sensual. Maybe it was his lips, those perfectly curved lips he possessed, and her mind began to wonder about how they'd feel pressed to hers, how he would taste, _The hell was that Mary, come on, wipe the drool from your face before he notices. _Before she could pick her mind out of the gutter, he seemed to have caught her lingering stare and his smile turned into a full on smirk. It was so Bash-like.

Not the one she knew the one she heard people talk about, the one who was flirty and cheeky. She wondered which side was the real him. Or maybe they both were him, just different versions; it gave her the overwhelming need to learn them all. She brushed that thought away as soon as it appeared it was a ridiculous notion.

She hadn't said a word since his greeting too caught up in her inner musings to remember her manners apparently, she was about to say something when he bent down and grabbed something on the grass just beside the bleachers. It was a flower, a poppy to be precise; he wordlessly approached her and gave an easy smile.

When she looked at him questioningly he merely shrugged said casually "A pretty flower, for a pretty girl." And with a wink he sat down beside her.

Pushing the compliment aside she tried to joke "I bet you say that to all the ladies." He smiled but then it a surprise face and he turned into a mock hurt voice "What, Mary! You know you are the only one for me." He said with a playful grin.

She gave a light laugh and all of a sudden her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Francis, why couldn't she be all he needed. Why was she never good enough? She decided just this once she wasn't going to make everything about him. Her heart gave a stutter at the smile he gave her after she laughed, he was so close and his wind ruffled hair fell perfectly over his forehead.

She momentarily wondered how to brothers looked so different, yes they were half-brothers but still. Where Francis was shorter and had blond hair, a very surfer boy look, young and youthful, Sebastian was tall and had lovely dark locks of hair that occasionally fluttered into his eyelashes, he looked older, like a man. He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Well maybe minus the dark.

"I am sorry; you don't have to worry about me. You should be in class... I am not your responsibility!" She said in a rush.

_Responsibility._

There was that word again, she was right, it wasn't. Yet he somehow felt like it was, like somehow her being sad made him sad, it made no sense if he were being honest with himself. Who was this Mary girl, and why has her happiness begun to mean so much to him?

Francis. Yes, that had to be it, she is his brothers girlfriend, or _was _rather. That is why he cared; he was being friendly because of Francis. He knew it was a pitiful excuse that his mind was not buying but for now it just had to do. He couldn't actually have feeling for Mary; she was taken, by his brother no less...

But that didn't mean Mary and him couldn't be friends, yes, friends. It was settled right then, but at the mere thought of her laugh when he teased her he realized that being _just friends_ was going to be a hell of a lot harder than it sounds. But it would have to do, for now at least.

"I don't mind, Mary. I enjoy being with you, you're presence brings light, your grace." He ended the sentence with a joking bow in his seat and emphases on the words "_your grace_".

She gave him a full tooth, dimple showing, heart melting smile at his words and his childishly adorable bow. When an idea popped into her mind and her smile turned mischievous. Just today she would take a moment to be selfish, and hopefully Sebastian would join her in her moment.

"Come with me somewhere!"

He looked at her seemingly trying to figure out if she was joking or not...

Turns out not.

"Just trust me." She said, almost flirtatiously and with that she got up a jumped down the bleacher steps two by two and sprinted off in the opposite direction. He was left sitting there for a moment before taking off after her curiously.


End file.
